Feeding mechanism for sewing machines



FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES June 21, 1932. F. LUTZ 1,864,453

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR `SEWING MACHINES Filed June 18, 1929 2Sheets-'Sheet 2 Patented June 21, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRIEDRICH LUTZ, 0FSTUTTGART,

SCHINENFABRIK G. M. B. H.,

GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 UNION SPECIAL MA- OF STUTTGART, GERMANY FEEDINGMECHANISM .FOB. SEWING MACHINES Application led June 18, 1929, SerialNo. 371,936, and in Germany December 29, 1928.

This.invention relates to new and useful improvements in feedingmechanisms for sewing machines, and more particularly to a feedingmechanism for directing and feeding an article having a circular orarcuate configuration, which article is provided with a pile surface. Itis well known that plush and simil-ar fabrics include a base fabric anda pile surface. In forming an article of such a fabric it is desirablethat the pile face be not disturbed, and where the fabric is providedwithv edge covering stitches, that the pile be laid so that thestitching threads will cover and bind down the same.

, An object ofthe present invention is to provide a feeding mechanismwhich is particularly adapted for feeding and directing articles made ofpile fabric which have a circular or arcuate configuration so that theedge thereof may be covered by edge covering stitches.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of theinvention:

Figure 1 is a view in section showing more or less diagrammatically oneembodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the work support, the feeding and directingdevices, and the means for turning down the pile as it is directed tothe stitch forming elements.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the underneath clamping and directing membershowing a modified arrangement of the projecting flanges.

Fig. L1 is a vertical sectional View through the upper clamping anddirecting device showing a further modified form of construction.

In my copending application Serial No. 371,853, filed of even'dateherewith, I have shown, described and claimed a feeding mechanism whichincludes a clamping and directing member provided with a cone-shapedunderface for holding the article in a manner which permits thearticleto be fed step by step about its center by a feed dog moving in a rightline. The present invention is directed to an improvement in the structure shown in said copending application.

The invention will be best understood by a. detailed reference to thedrawings formin a part of this application. The fabric to e stitched isindicated at 1 in the drawings, and it includes a base fabric havirg apile surface 1a. The fabric as shown in ig. 1 is placed with its pileface extending downward. The work support is indicated at 2. Thestitching mechanism which is of any suitable type has not beenillustrated, except that the needle is indicated at 3, showing theposition of the stitching mechanism. The material is fed by means of afour-motion feeding mechanism which includes a feed dog 4 operatingthrough a slot 5 in the work support 2. As shown in Fig. 1, there is alower clamping and directing member 6 and an upper clamping and directinmember 7 The lower clamping and directing member has its underfaceformed cone-shaped. At the apex` of the cone which is the center of theclamping member, there is a projectin portion 8 which fits within arecess 9 formed in the work support 2. There is also a projecting stem10 carried centrally lof this under clamping member and centrally of theprojection 8 which extends into an opening in the work support. Thisopening and coneshaped recess are formed in a plate 2a which is attachedto the work support and which can be changed when different sizedclamping and directing members are used for producing articles ofdifferent diameter. v Projecting upwardly from this cone-shaped underclamping member 6 is a fiange ll'located at4 the edge of the clampingmember and projecting upwardly therefrom. This ange tapers towards itsupper edge. Located inwardly from the peripheral edge of the. un-

der clampingv and directing member 1s aflange or rib 12 which isconcentric with the center ofthe clamping and directing member. This ribor ange 12 likewise is tapered and projects upwardly to about the sameheight as the'iange 11. At the center of the diskis an annular rib orflange 13 which is similarly shaped. The fabric to be stitched is cut toproper shape and size and isthen inserted so that the pile face isplaced on this under clamping and directing member. These ribs or angeswill project beshape of the under soTh tween the pile threads and engagethe base fabric without injuring the pile face.

The article is held on the lower clamping and directing member by theupper clamping and directing member 7 which has a coneshaped underface14 conforming to the coneclamping and directing late. The apex oftheupper clamping memer engages the article at the center thereof. Thisupper clamping member is mounted so as to turn freely on a supportingstud 15 which'is pivoted at 16 to a bracket arm 17. This bracket arm 17is in turn pivoted at 18 to a supporting plate 19 which is adjustablyattachedto the presser bar so as to yield therewith. A spring latch 20serves to hold the bracket arm 17 in normal position with the upperclamping member clamping the article to be stitched against the lowerclamping member. Also mounted on the bracket arm 17 1s a presser foot21. Said presser foot is mounted for vertical adjustment in a bracket 22which is in turn mounted for horizontal adjustment in aprojectingortion23 carried by the bracketarm 17. screw 24 clamps said bracket 22 in itsadjusted position,and a screw 25 clamps the presser foot in its verticaladjusted positions inthe bracket 22. is presser foot bears on theupper'face of the article to be stitche Also mounted on the work support2 is a pile turning guide 27. This pile turning guide 27 has a recess27a in its upper face which is curved and shaped so that the pile W islaid back onto the fabric face within the osld limits of the overedgestitches vand thus it is that the overedge stitches cover the edge ofthe article andv also cover and conceal the turned down portions of thepile. The feed dog 4 has a smooth upper face. On the underside of theclamping and directing plate 6 is a recess in whichis mounted a leatherstrip 28. This leather strip is so positioned that the feed dogmakescontact therewith and thus it is that the feed dog, by direct engagementwith the clamping and directing plate, turns said plate step by step andthus feeds the article to the stitching mechanism. It will be notedAthat when the clamping members are cone-shaped with the apex of theucone ofthe lower clamping member at the center of the article beingstitched, that portion of the clamping member between the apex and theperiphery which is at the stitchilg point will be substantially parallelwith t e plane of the work support while the portion diametricallyopposite from the apex to the periphery'will be at an inclination andspacedA away from the work support. This permits a free swinging of theclamping members as the said feed dog raises and lowers and thus it isthat a four motion feed og may be used for rotating the clamping rectedplates without disturbing the clamped portion of the fabric which isbeing stitched.

In F ig; 3 of the drawings the lower clamping plate 6 is' shown asprovided with an outer flange or rib l1 which vis continuous andunbroken. The rib or iiange located inwardly from the peripheral edge isbroken away so as to form separated projecting pins or teeth indicatedat 12a inthe drawings. The rib orange at the center of the disc islikewise broken so as to provide projecting pins or teeth indicated at13a in the drawings.

hese projecting pins or teeth find their way in between the pile threadsso as to engage the base fabric without injuring the pile face.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have shown a modified form of theinvention, in that the upper clamping plate 7 is provided with adownwardly projecting rib or flange 29 at its outer edge, anintermediate downwardly projecting rib or flange 30, and an innerannular downwardly projecting rib or flange 31. This form of upperclamping plate is especially useful when it is desired to place a pilefabric for stitching with the pile extending upwardly.

In conjunction with the upper clamping and directing plate 7, a smoothlower clamping plate may b e used, or no lower clamping plate at all, asshown in my copending application.

rIhe machine is particularly adapted for forming such articles as powderpuffs or the like which are circular in outline. By my improvedfeedingand clamping mechanism, this article may be guided and diso as toproduce an article which is of substantially perfect circular outlineand the edge of the article is covered with overedge stitches.

It is obvious that minor changes in the detail of construction andarrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a feed do andcooperating members for clamping am? directing the article beingstitched, said feed dog being disposed relative to one of said clampinmembers so as to engage and intermittent y turn the same about a fixedcenter, one of said members having projecting ribs on its fabricengagingface.

2. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a feed dog andcooperating members for clamping and directing the article beingstitched, said feed dog being disposed relative to one of. said clampingmembers so as to engage and intermittently turn the same about a xedcenter, one of said members having a cone-shaped face and rojecting ribson the fabric engaging ace thereof. e

mittently turn said clamping and directing members havmg 3. A feedingmechanism for sewing machines including awork support, a fee dog, andcooperating members for clamping and directing the article beingstitched, said feed dog being disposed relative to one of said clampingAmembers so as to engage and interthe same about a fixed center,

their adjacent faces formed cone-shaped with the apex of each cone atthe center of rotation of said members. w

4. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a work support, afeed dog,

and cooperating members for clamping and directing the article beingstitched, said feed dog being disposed relative to one of said clampingmembers so as to engage and intermittently turn the same about a fixedcenter, said clamping and directing members having their adjacent facesformed coneshaped with the apex of each cone at the center of rotationof said members, one of said members having projecting ribs on thefabric engaging face thereof.

5. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a work support, afeed dog, cooperating members for clamping and directin the articlebeing stitched, and means where y said clamping and directing membersare caused to turn about a fixed center by the action of the feed dog,said clamping and directing members having their adjacent faces formedcone-shaped with the apex of each cone at the center of rotation of saidmembers, one of said members having a nonmetallic strip attached theretowith which said feed dog makes contact for turning the clamping anddirecting members.

6. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a Work support, afeed dog, cooperating members for clamping and directing the articlebeing stitched, and means whereby said clamping and directing membersare caused to turn about a fixed center by the action of the feed dog,said clamping and directing members having their adjacent faces formedcone-shaped with the apex of each cone at the center of rotation of saidmembers, one of said members having concentric spaced ribs on the fabricengaging face thereof.

7. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a work support, afeed dog, cooperating members for clamping and d1- recting the articlebeing stitched, means whereby said clamping and directing members arecaused to turn/about a fixed center by the action of the feed dog, saidclamping and directing members having their adjacent faces formedcone-shaped with the apex of each cone at the center of rotation of saidmembers, and means for supporting said clamping and directing memberswhereby the same may yield 'and move up and down with the feed dog.

8. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a work support, afeed dog, cooperating members for clamping recting the artlcle beingstitched, means whereby said clamping and directing members are causedto turn about a fixed center by the action of the feeddog, said clampingand directing members having their adjacent faces formed cone-shapedwith the apex of each cone at the center of rotation of said members,means for supporting said clamping and directing members whereby thesame may yield and move up and down with the feed dog, and a presserfoot bearing on the fabric adjacent the clamping and directing membersand movable up and down therewith.

9. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a work support, afeed dog, cooperating members for clamping and directing the articlebeing stitched, means whereby said clamping and directing members arecaused to turn about a fixed center by the action of the feed dog, saidclamping and directing members having their adja.- cent faces formedcone-shaped with the apex of each cone at the center of rotation of saidmembers, means for supporting said clamping and directing memberswhereby the same may yield and move up and down with the feed dog, apresser foot bearing on the fabric and di- Y adjacent the clamping anddirecting members and movable up and down therewith, and a pile turningguide carried by the work support and disposed so as to turn down thepile to be covered by the overedge stitches.

10. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines including a work support, afeed dog located beneath the work support, cooperating members forclamping and directing the article being stitched disposed above saidwork support and overlying said feed dog, whereby said feed dog willintermittently engageJ the clamping members for turning the same about axed center, and whereby said clamping members will be held from movementthrough contact with the work support during the idle movements of thefeed dog. n

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

FRIEDRICH LUTZ.

